Jessica's Blog

I did it.

The kids have not watched TV since June. 

Why?

I got so frickin sick to the arguments.  At the end of every show Honey Girl would start in with her whining about what to watch next.  Then if designated tv time was over, there was a guaranteed whinefest from the both of them.  If the tv was on around dinner time, I had zombies that would spend time at the table, but would rarely eat their food.  I got sick of the wretched barrage of "I want"s from Honey Girl.  "OOOOooooo!  I want that because it's so pretty and so pink and I love it!"  *gag*  I was realizing that while Word Girl was truly a great kids show... it was still tv and Big Boy and I were getting more vocabulary from his Magic Treehouse books at bedtime.  It grossed me out when the bigger kids would ask Little Lady to move because she was blocking the tv. 

So I killed the television.  Cold Turkey.  Enough.  No, no tv.  Nope. Nada.  Zero. Zilch.

Granted, this could be why I have not communicated much with the outside world since June.  I've been with my kids!  As in playing games, doing projects, going on bike rides... talking, teaching them how to do chores... today we had a quiz show in the kitchen about "sometimes foods" and "healthy choices" since Honey Girl wants to live on only fruit lately.  We pilfered through the cupboards looking for examples of stuff, then cleaned up the mess.

Something I've heard referred to as "quality time"?

Hmmmm.

It helps that we're insanely busy with me working now and the kids having swim lessons this summer and that we don't get home until close to 5 or so.  We putter a bit, then it's dinner/bath/bed time.  Of course dinner/bath/bed is a near two hour process.... but anyway.

I wasn't going to write about the no tv rule in our house because I find folks who do that tend to do it to be smug or holier-than-thou.  I decided to do it to get peace back.  Basically to chill out Honey Girl, who just doesn't seem to be able to handle tv right now.  Big Boy doesn't mind because he's big on his legos, chapter books, cooking, and his baby sister.  The sibling arguments has gone down significantly.  Honey Girl has found *knock on wood* her inside voice, her ability to use her words, and basically how NOT to annoy the crap out of us much of the time.  The hissy fits are all but gone, the interrupting by yelling,  clumsiness of just not knowing where her body is. I used to put on the tv so they wouldn't argue, and now I find they argue less because they aren't fighting over what to watch.

For myself killing tv has been big too.  Really it was hard at first.  There were times when I was about to turn on the tv just to have a moment's peace from the kids, or to have something definitive to do.  But then I found if I just puttered with them, put on some music, or took a few deep breaths,  we'd have a good time.  I'll watch every now and then, usually when ironing to make the task more fun late at night. You know what I've found?  I sleep now.  I used to get all caught up in one show, then the next, and the next, and just like my daughter, I would be overtired and grouchy.  It's amazing what all else I have energy for now.

The kids are getting to be great dancers.... not that I'll ask them to exhibit their "SexyBack" skills anytime soon.

I overheard Honey Girl saying to a camp counselor at my son's camp today, "Um, well... you see.  I know this character.  I used to watch that tv show, but we don't watch tv anymore at my home at all.  Not at all."

Can you hear the teeniest violin playing??  yeah, me neither.

It may creep in again.  Who knows what the future will hold, but for now the big beautiful tv is for gaming and movies.  In other words, Hubby's game nights and the occasional in home date night, or Family Movie Night on a weekend afternoon.  The kids don't even ask anymore.  Well, of course Honey Girl asks from time to time, but those times are becoming fewer and farther between.  We put the tv on for her the other night while I was cutting Hubby's and BIg Boy's hair and when we turned it off... immediate hissy fit despite the clear negotiation at the outset that it would only be fore one show, enough time to cut Daddy's hair.  Lesson learned.

My daughter continues to be my greatest teacher.  She pushes us to new heights of awareness everyday.